When it comes to using generators, you might think of the safety of the generator and yourself. Because generators can emit gases. Most automobile devices emit exhaust gases. All gases are not dangerous. But some specific gas like carbon monoxide can be highly toxic.
So, you might be confused about whether natural gas generators produce carbon monoxide or not. You have to know the working process of natural gas generators and the emitted gas. Knowing about the safety of carbon monoxide is highly important. Otherwise, a sudden accident might occur due to toxic gas emissions.
Do natural gas generators produce carbon monoxide?
Generally, a properly working natural gas generator will not produce carbon monoxide. When you burn natural gas, carbon monoxide will be produced. So, if the natural gas in the generator gets burnt by malfunction, carbon monoxide can be produced. This gas is highly toxic.
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However, you can’t say directly that a natural gas generator produces carbon monoxide. Because the natural gas generator runs well without any problem, there is no chance of producing carbon monoxide.
If the generator has problems or malfunctions, the natural gas can burn. This burnt gas will give off carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is one of the most toxic gases for humans and animals. Even inhaling carbon monoxide can cause emergency health issues.
Moreover, some natural gas standby generators use natural gas and emit carbon monoxide gas. Standby generators are backup generators that run automatically. So, a standby generator can be effective but toxic for humans.
Carbon monoxide can be produced from a portable generator also. Because some portable generators use natural gas as a fuel. These portable generators produce carbon monoxide and spread it through the environment. Some whole house generators can also emit carbon monoxide gas.
Generally, all-natural gas generators are not unsafe. Some natural gas generators are completely safe. If the generator doesn’t burn natural gas, there will be no carbon monoxide. But a malfunction can cause a dangerous situation. So, you have to be careful about choosing natural gas generators.
Are natural gas generators safe?
No, all natural gas generators are not safe. Because different types of generators use natural gas as fuel. So, you have to know about the working procedure of the generator. Then you can determine whether the generator is safe or not.
Some natural gas generators work well and don’t emit any toxic gas. But some generators can also emit dangerous gases like carbon monoxide. You might know that carbon monoxide is unsafe for humans and animals.
Natural gas generators like standby generators or portable generators tend to emit carbon monoxide. So, these generators are not safe. If the use of these generators is very necessary, you have to keep them in a safe place.
These unsafe generators that are unsafe for humans should not be placed inside the house or garage. These generators should not be placed in closed places. Otherwise, the carbon monoxide gas will spread through the closed area and be dangerous.
However, whether natural gas generators are safe depends on the type of the generators. Moreover, it also depends on the working principle of the generators. If the generator burns natural gas, it will produce carbon monoxide.
How does a natural gas generator work?
Natural gas generators work similarly to gas generators. But gas generators, generators use a liquid as fuel. On the other hand, natural gas generators use gas as fuel.
Generally, a natural gas generator utilizes the gas to create electricity. For creating electricity, the gas fuel and the air get mixed into a combustion chamber. This mixture is inserted into the chamber.
Then a piston compresses the mixture in the combustion chamber. The continuous compression of the piston keeps the generator running. There is a spark plug that causes the ignition of the fuel and air mixture.
Then the combustion power goes to the crankshaft that runs the generator. On the other hand, the exhaust gases exit from the generator. Exhaust gases can be unsafe if the natural gas gets burnt.
Because when the spark plug ignites the mixture, the natural gas gets burnt. You might know that burnt natural gas can give off carbon monoxide and other unsafe gases. So, the working procedure of the natural gas generator is similar to other gas generators.
Can you run a natural gas generator indoors?
It would be best if you did not run a natural gas generator indoors. However, natural gas generators are not always unsafe. But it can cause some situations. So, you should not use natural gas generators indoors. Let’s see why you should not use a natural gas generator indoors.
Carbon monoxide production:
You should never run a natural gas generator indoors. Generally, when you run a natural gas generator, it will produce exhaust gas. When natural gas gets burnt inside the combustion chamber of the generator, carbon monoxide gas will be emitted.
Carbon monoxide gas is the most poisonous gas. Even if it will cause an immediate emergency. If you keep the generator indoors, the gas will be around the house. The whole environment of the house will be toxic. That’s why you should not keep a natural gas generator indoors.
Unsafe indoors:
Using the natural gas generator indoors will make the indoor environment unsafe. Because the exhaust gases like carbon monoxide and others of generators are highly toxic for humans and animals. If humans and animals inhale the toxic gases accidentally, it can be deadly.
The gas will not get enough ventilation to pass out in a closed area, like inside the house. Moreover, carbon monoxide doesn’t have a taste or smell. So, you will not get any clue whether the gas is inside your house or not. It can cause accidents suddenly. So, the indoors will be completely unsafe.
Can you run a natural gas generator in a garage?
No, you should not run a natural gas generator in a garage. Generally, you should not keep the natural gas generator in any closed area like a garage. Because a natural gas generator can emit carbon monoxide gas.
You might know that carbon monoxide gas is not safe at all. Even it has no smell and taste. So, once this gas is emitted, you will not notice. But this gas is so dangerous that it can cause emergencies for humans and animals.
You might not use the garage so often. But once you open the garage after some days, the gas will immediately spread, and you can inhale the toxic gas. That’s why you should never run a natural gas generator in a garage.
How far does a natural gas generator need to be from the house?
Now that you know you should not keep the natural gas generator inside the house, you might want to know the right place to keep the generator. You have to keep the natural gas generator at a distance from the house.
Generally, you should keep the natural gas generator 1.5 feet away from the house. Moreover, the natural gas generator should be 5 feet away from the house door and 3 feet away from the service room.
This distance should be kept strictly because a natural gas generator can emit toxic gas and cause a sudden accident.
How long can a natural gas generator run continuously?
A natural gas generator runs a long time continuously. Generally, a natural gas generator can run up to 3 weeks continuously. This time range is the longest among different types of generators.
If the natural gas generator is a standby, it will run even more time. A natural gas generator runs so long because it uses natural gas and doesn’t need other fuel for running.
Does a propane generator emit carbon monoxide?
A propane generator emits a very small amount of carbon monoxide. This amount is smaller than other types of generators. That’s why propane generators are considered more environmentally friendly than other generators.
Most generators emit some amount of carbon monoxide. But a propane generator emits a very little amount of this gas that is not harmful.
Which is safer gas or propane generator?
A propane generator is safer than a gas generator. Generally, a propane generator emits a small amount of carbon monoxide. On the other hand, a gas generator will emit large carbon monoxide.
This carbon monoxide is very toxic and unsafe for humans, animals, and the environment. But the small amount of carbon monoxide emitted by the propane generator is not harmful. So, a propane generator is more environmentally friendly.
Tough a gas generator might be more efficient than a propane generator, a propane generator is safer.
Final Thoughts
Natural gas generators emit carbon monoxide if the generator burns natural gas. Moreover, standby natural gas or portable natural gas generators produce carbon monoxide. So, these generators are not safe to keep indoors or in a closed area.